


The Dead Are Silent

by Carleen



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Gen, tragedy death love love lost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-30
Updated: 2014-01-30
Packaged: 2018-01-10 13:03:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1160045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carleen/pseuds/Carleen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Live Journal Insanity Round Jan 29 - Prompt: The Dead Are Silent - Approximately 100 words</p><p>http://masseffect.livejournal.com/1833104.html#comments</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dead Are Silent

Live Journal Insanity Round January 29

PROMPT: The Dead Are Silent

The sound of Tali's pleading still in rings in his ears. The dust and heat of Rannoch still burn his skin. This didn't feel like another step toward victory. It felt like death. Not the death of the hundreds of millions of souls dying at this very moment across the galaxy, but the death of a single young woman. A courageous young girl on the threshold of life who stood up for what she believed in and chose to walk that final path with her people.

Her tears, the sorrow and the disappointment stabbed him in the heart. But he'd learned a long time ago to compartmentalize emotions other people so casually tossed his way. Without that ability he'd have walked out an airlock long ago. He'd been so wrapped up in the moment, he hadn't noticed what she was doing until he heard her say, "I'm sorry, Shepard." And then, before he could speak, before he could stop her, she was gone.

The silent tomb of his quarters has nothing to offer him. A hot shower doesn't cleanse him of the guilt. Sleep doesn't heal him, nor work justify his actions. His bed is empty and the night holds fresh horrors. Deep in that first night he slid out of bed to his knees. The flickering light from the stars above the bed cast his face in deep relief. His blue eyes seem empty and his cheeks hollowed out.

"Tali, please," he choked out the words, with his hands fisted in the sheets. "Tali. Please talk to me. I love you. I love..." A sob tore from his chest and broke his heart. He begged for answers, but found none. "Please forgive me."

But the dead are silent.


End file.
